Yes it is still January here in Cheshire - I have seen Marigolds (the summer Old Fashioned ones)along with periwinkle in a garden near me - looks like a little bit of summer that has got lost!Very little frost here as yet but looks like next week will change all that! My bird visitors seem a little bit less than usual- perhaps they have found somewhere a bit warmer for another week or two!

Lots of different suggestions coming through - will try and have another go with the plant and see if I can get them going - the blue and yellow colour match always looks good especially with Iris's with I have and hopefully they will reappear this year

I am awash with fallen Japanese Acer leaves - all 44 of them. The colour has been amazing on the trees and on the floor - along with leaves from other large trees nearby. I usually donate them to the Corporation via our green bin but this year saw Monty Don on GW and he was turning his leaves into leaf mould. As others have said shove them into black plastic sacks, put some water in, make a few holes in the bags, tie them up and park them somewhere out of the way and wait awhile until they have rotted down into leaf mould. The softer the leaf the better, try to avoid beech leaves as they are quite hard and take ages to rot.

Yes it is a lovely name and it matches a lovely rose. Beautiful showy pink, and the fragrancy of the flower is great. Plant this rose and look forward to next summer and the new (to you) flowers. Another absolutely beautiful rose is one called Nostalgia - cherry red with creamy middle - so, so pretty and eye catching and the scent is of a real old fashioned rose, it is very easy going and well worth growing. Enjoythe anticipation for next Summer.

Finally got my day lillies to flower this year with loads of potash, but should I cut back all the spent foliage now or leave it to over winter? I usually take all foliage on my perrennials down this month - just wonder if this is a bit too early.

Many thanks for all your replies - very interesting points made and advice given - will dish out more mulch, food etc.and talk to them! In response to a comment about what people grow with hostas - mine are under Japanese Acers, a camellia and Wiegela. Similar to Dovefromabove I also have pulmonarias, Solomans Seal, ferns plus ajugas, saxifraga fortunei wikth huge white plume and Red Ruby with red foliage and deep pink flowers. Also an evegreen (shade required) Sisyrinchium with lovely violet flowers. Also got five epimediums - almost forgot 5 Heucharas flowering well. The bed that they are all in is very small, dappled to deep shade and with very sandy soil!! PS The Hosta leaves are really beautifiul!

I have several Hostas in my garden - all growing under the dappled shade of my Japanese Acers. One of them has a flower spike forming but it is the only one! I have looked closely at the amount of light that may be going on this particular and it is very little more than the other seven plants are receiving. In another part of the garden I have a further 4 Hostas and they haven't flowered at all this year although in full leaf. Have I read it all wrong - all the books say shade!